[akshye]

Originally Posted by virajmore03

Received some pictures of the Octavia L&K ...

Attachment 2162717

What's with the two spoke wheel? New Kushaq also has it. Looks bad!

[Turbohead]

Trust me, the 2 spoke steering wheel and those alloy wheels will take time to get used to. I actually started liking them.

We all know how much people hated the Octavia 3rd Gen facelift. After a few months, it turned out to be more premium looking than the original.

Expect the 4th Gen to flop big time. Sunroof is a big deal today however limited it's usage maybe. Personally, I'm happy because that's one less thing that's prone to rattles.

[Behemoth]

Too early to actually judge the car as a hit or a miss yet. The Octavia has a big fan following and the unique Notchback design has a lot of benefits compared to conventional sedans. The Octavia also has continued a culture of driver focused driving dynamics and simple, built to last interiors. I have a Laura Diesel - now touching almost 9.5 years and it still rides like a dream and gives a mileage of 18-20kmpl in mixed use. However the lack of diesel engines in the new Octavia will be a challenge for its sales numbers. Had they also offered a competent 1.6 TDI engine, it would have made the package even better.
My expectation is that Skoda will launch the new Octavia with 1.5 TSI and 2.0TSI engines with manual and Auto gearboxes and prices starting from 19 Lacs and going to 27 Lacs ex showroom for the highest variants. At this price level, Octavia should be able to manage 400-500 unit sales per month, which would be respectable.
Prices should be revealed soon - hopefully on 10th June.

[PrideRed]

I am one of those who don't like to drooping front of new Octavia. Gone is the aggressive/sporty front end which was the highlight interms of design to me.

Few other miss from Skoda:
1. No Sunroof, might be problematic and may not be used as much. Definitely is key feature for many folks.
2. Biggest one- No buttons to control Audio(Or did I miss?). Many manufacturers have learnt it hard way and bought physical buttons back.
3. Busy looking alloys, though might look great in motion.
4. May be eyes aren't trained yet, but steering looks awful too.

At 27L ex-showroom(=35L OTR Bangalore), I can't seem to find a reason to not opt for Superb for few extra lakhs. Not to forget, sedans are dying and there are now good number SUV's selling at 25-35L price bracket.

[Shreyas_H]

Autocar has put up a video on YouTube on the legacy of the Octavia -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFQgpTOCyeM

It's a special feature (fancy term for an ad) and they confirm at the end of the video that the Octavia is indeed launching on the 10th June.
Really looking forward to test drive the 2L TSI automatic!

[TokyoDrifter]

Originally Posted by PrideRed

Few other miss from Skoda:
1. No Sunroof, might be problematic and may not be used as much. Definitely is key feature for many folks.
2. Biggest one- No buttons to control Audio(Or did I miss?). Many manufacturers have learnt it hard way and bought physical buttons back.
3. Busy looking alloys, though might look great in motion.
4. May be eyes aren't trained yet, but steering looks awful too.

At 27L ex-showroom(=35L OTR Bangalore), I can't seem to find a reason to not opt for Superb for few extra lakhs. Not to forget, sedans are dying and there are now good number SUV's selling at 25-35L price bracket.

Misses are what people will get used to, with time. But your last point is very critical - this might lure lot of buyers into Superb (Sportline or otherwise) for extra few lacs, just like many skipped straight to BMW330i last year from vRS. But the point is - it is advantage Skoda in terms of market share. Will it really enhance their sales numbers - prolly not. That's where they have Kushaq kicking in. Mighty interesting Q3 lined up for all Indian BHPians. Looking forward!

[Venkatesh]

Confirmed : 2021 Skoda Octavia will launch in India on June 10.

Zac Hollis : Did you know: OCTAVIA in Latin means 'the eighth' as it was the eighth vehicle in ŠKODA AUTO's product portfolio post the second world war. Stay tuned to know more about the fourth generation launching on June 10th.

Link

[Kartman]

Originally Posted by PrideRed

I am one of those who don't like to drooping front of new Octavia. Gone is the aggressive/sporty front end which was the highlight interms of design to me.

Few other miss from Skoda:
1. No Sunroof, might be problematic and may not be used as much. Definitely is key feature for many folks.
2. Biggest one- No buttons to control Audio(Or did I miss?). Many manufacturers have learnt it hard way and bought physical buttons back.
3. Busy looking alloys, though might look great in motion.
4. May be eyes aren't trained yet, but steering looks awful too.

At 27L ex-showroom(=35L OTR Bangalore), I can't seem to find a reason to not opt for Superb for few extra lakhs. Not to forget, sedans are dying and there are now good number SUV's selling at 25-35L price bracket.

I completely agree with you. I have a 2018 Octavia 1.8 Tsi and one of the main reasons, apart from the motor, to buy it was the front end look of the car. The new Octavia doesn’t look like a different car just a dialed down version of the Superb. In my opinion, Skoda may be trying to push the Superb rather than Octavia and hence has omitted features like Sunroof even in the L&K version.

[Phukan23]

No Ventilated seats
No 360° Camera
No Sunroof

[NotanF1driver]

Originally Posted by Shreyas_H

Autocar has put up a video on YouTube on the legacy of the Octavia

So has PowerDrift and Evo India. Certainly helps create a build up before launch. Hope I would be able to afford one and there would be at least a variant which stays in my budget.

[travelling owl]

Exterior look sharp and amazing!

Is it only me or are there other people who are getting bored of these floating screens? every car that is being launched has floating screen, seems like cars are sold only for this feature! These screen without buttons is such a safety issue, you literally need to take your eyes and focus off from the road and make changes, even to increase audio volume or change the AC temperature!

[gururajrv]

Damn this car Octavia is always a looker since it’s inception! I’m so bowled over the looks of this white elegant car.

Btw, the 2 spoke steering wheel is making a come back from the past. It reminds me of the premier padmini and Ambassador / Contessa days a pic to reminisce the same (courtesy: google)

[romil.shroff]

Here's my quick analysis from the previously posted pics and videos:

1) No individual AC control scrollers. They have been removed even from the upcoming XUV 700 as well. Still don't understand why so many manufacturers have started this cheap cost cutting trend.

2) Hydraulic struts have been added to open the bonnet.

3) Unlike the previous gen model, this new one gets a dedicated adjustable headrest for the middle-rear passenger. Somehow, Skoda had removed it, for the previous two gen model, for the Indian market which is quite shocking as the 1st gen facelift Octavia (sold as Laura) had it, for the Indian variant.

4) Good to see the super useful AH (auto hold) button along with EPK (Electronic Parking Brake). Even some more expensive cars don't get this AH feature despite being equipped with the EPB. For eg, BMW X1, Jeep Compass, previous gen Audi Q3 etc.

5) The blank buttons, on either side of the center console, means absence of ventilated front seats.

6) The blank buttons, on either side of the steering wheel, are for steering wheel heating and ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control). Interestingly, these buttons are present on the 2021 Superb. However, with Superb, the ACC button works as a regular CC (Cruise Control). With the new Octavia, the regular CC controls are on the left stalk behind the steering wheel, just like the previous gen model.

7) Like the previous gen Octavia L&K, the Canton sound system is present. This means an extra speaker (on the dashboard) and a subwoofer with amplifier.

8) Alloys have love-it or hate-it design but they certainly look different from the other cars in its segment. Most people would appreciate it once they see it in-person or after they see the regular alloy design of the lower variants.

9) Electric boot button is present, inside the boot, to close it. For once, I wish this feature wasn't available in our country. The mall-security guards, car wash guys and FNG mechanics are unlikely to use this button. They would just slam the boot and damage the motor that operates this function.

10) The glovebox is illuminated. It also gets the cooling feature and has damp-action (opens gradually). Unfortunately, it's not lockable and doesn't have fabric inside it. The former was there in the previous gen model though.

11) Like the previous gen version, this one is likely to get the 10-colored ambient lighting. However, the current gen would also get it on the dashboard.

12) Good to see the twin USB-C ports for the rear passengers.

13) The cabin lights are white LEDs that replace the yellow halogen ones.

14) Absence of sunroof could be a deal breaker for many potential customers. Are they trying to get something exclusive for the Karoq customers? If yes, it's a dumb move.

15) The power on/off button, on the audio system, is on the wrong side for RHD markets. Sadly, this also means that the 'Home', 'Menu' and 'Settings' buttons, inside the infotainment system, are on the left side. On the flip side, it works perfectly for the co-passenger.

16) The international variants get dynamic rear turn indicators. I don't expect to see it here as Skoda might want some exclusivity for Superb.

17) The video isn't clear but looks like there's no wireless charger.

18) The rotatory knob, for the headlight controls, have been replaced by three physical buttons. Won't be that convenient to operate while driving at higher speeds.

19) The sunglass holder wasn't available in the previous gen. It's available now, thanks to the absence of sunroof.

20) Let's hope there's a SportLine variant with an all-black interiors and de-chrome exteriors.

[84.monsoon]

Originally Posted by PrideRed

Few other miss from Skoda:
1. No Sunroof, might be problematic and may not be used as much. Definitely is key feature for many folks.
4. May be eyes aren't trained yet, but steering looks awful too.

I doubt Skoda would remove the option of a Sunroof completely from the Octavia. I know many buyers who prefer to go for the top end variants but do not want a sunroof - because it can get very hot in the cabin in the Indian summers, unless the sliding blind provided underneath is thick and insulating enough to let in sunlight and heat.

For instance on my BMW, the retractable sunroof shade cover is very thick and does not let in any heat or light once it is closed. On the other hand, on the Mercedes E-Class that is owned by someone in the extended family, the shade is quite thin and heats up the cabin even when fully closed.

So, my guess is Skoda may offer the option of a Sunroof even in the L&K trim, so as not to dissuade buyers who do not want a sunroof from opting for lower trims for just this reason.

[ShivWason17]

So finally, the legend will be back on sale. Lot of major changes made by SKODA over the previous generation. The car looks great in & out except those Sudarshan-chakra’esque alloys and the controversial 2- spoke steering wheel.

Still, with this generation change, I feel that the current Mk3.5 L&K owners wont feel they are missing out on a lot, other than the fantastic (and more reliable probably) Engine- Gearbox combo. Octavia has been a well specced car always.

Coming to the sunroof debacle, We also have to keep in mind that Octavia is generaly a preference of the enthusiasts community. It has not been a mass matket car, atleast recently with so many options coming with features all around. Someone whose purchase decision is based on sunroof will anyday go for a Compass, Safari or something in that segment with full panoramic sunroof.

Ultimately, Skoda has to price this well to keep the segment alive. Its anyday best in the segment but this segment now only has 2 cars and Elantra is nothing to write home about. So, this particular segment totally depends on Octavia pricing and how the market responds to it.